HARTFORD, CT - Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that as a result of Connecticut’s criminal justice reform initiatives, newly available data from two reports that were released Monday are showing that recidivism rates and the projected prison population are continuing to drop in Connecticut. Recidivism rates have been declining in each of the four categories that are regularly monitored by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) – new arrests, new convictions, returns-to-prison for any reason, and returns-to-prison to begin a new sentence of incarceration – and the prison population is projected to drop by 726 prisoners (approximately 5.25 percent) over the next year, continuing the precipitous drop the state has observed during the course of this administration.

“The fact of the matter is, our criminal justice reforms are producing tremendous results for the people of Connecticut,” Governor Malloy said. “We have far fewer people committing crimes and entering our prison system than ever before. The Second Chance initiatives that we’ve put in place are keeping people safe, while offering those that have made mistakes in their past a second chance. There is more work to be done, and I look forward to continuing the progress we have made together over these past seven years.”

“Even slight reductions in recidivism have had significant impacts on our goals and our mission to improve public safety,” Department of Correction (DOC) Commissioner Scott Semple said. “I am proud of the efforts and commitment of Connecticut DOC employees.”

OPM produces recidivism analyses based on the three-year period following an offender’s release from prison. The data used to support the report ran through December 31, 2017.